Pages

Thursday, September 29, 2011

then you will love Barbara Brackman's newest line called "Lately Arrived From London". The collection reproduces fabric from about 1780 to 1820 - a little after the time of the Civil War. The name refers to the advertisements for ships carrying imported fabrics into American ports in that period.

The colors are just beautiful!! If you want to read more about this line of fabric that is coming out this month, you can go to Barbara's blog, Material Culture. I think of all the fabric designers, my most favorite is Barbara Brackman!! I just love her style!!

Here is the quilt she has designed for this line of fabric!! Way gorgeous!! It measures 76" x 76". I am looking forward to making this beauty!!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks gave me a wonderful opportunity to help her with some blocks for a charity quilt that is for a lady with cancer. I have been promising Tonya that I would get these blocks in the mail to her for the past several weeks!! I am hoping these blocks work and it was extra fun for me because I was able to use some of the Moda fabric that I hand-dyed for the borders!!

Ok, Tonya - now it's time to get this quilt finished and off to your friend!!! :-)) Thanks for allowing me to be a participant!!

Friday, September 23, 2011

because I know it is the UPS man (and this time we had a different guy and he was darling - opps I digress) is here with more fabric!!

Today he brought me a bunch of the new Collection for a Cause - Comfort by Howard Morris.

I didn't know he was the owner of the Moda - or so I heard.

Anyway, here is the collection:

Wonderful reproduction prints in green and browns and reds - yum!!

As I was fondling all this bee-you-tee-full fabric, I thought it would only be proper if I share one pack with one of my friends here.

So you all know the drill - leave a comment so I know you are interested and if you want to post this giveaway on your blog I will give you 2 extra chances!! This fabric is just that pretty - that is unless you just hate reproduction prints!!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

My youngest nephew and his darling wife informed us a few weeks ago that they are having a new baby that will arrive the first part of March!! This is their first!! Since Aunt Kris has not heard (and I don't think anyone knows yet) if it is a boy or a girl, I decided to make a little snuggle blanket that will work for either. I think it turned out pretty cute!

I did have to rip out two rows of the edging because I accidently worked a half double crochet in the second row and by the time I had completed the full double crochet in the third row, it stuck out oo much and folded over, but the new edging works pretty good!!

Thank you to everyone who shared their comments and opinions with me!! It gave me the courage to dye the additional fabrics and today I am going to cut up some of the FQs into F-1/8ths and put them in my eBay Store - The Quilting Garden!!

Ellie and Debra - please email me at akyoung49@yahoo.com to let me know what your address is and what colors and sizes you want. You can chose three FQs, 6 F-1/8ths or a combination of the two!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I got my One flower Wednesday flower completed this afternoon. This was really a fun one to make. At first I chose a dark green center but after I finished the green hexie, I put it into the center and I just did not like it. Well, that created a problem because I just don't own any solid fabric and this flower is one of the flowers for my swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon flower Swap and her preferences are florals with solid centers.

While I was trying to figure out what to do, my friend Regena said "why not use some of the fabric you just dyed!!" What a concept!!

So, I chose this wonderful mottled purple that just made the petals pop!! Now I have both of my flowers to send to my swap partner for her September flowers!!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Several weeks ago there was a discussion in one of my Yahoo groups about some rotary blades sold at Harbor Freight Tools for cutting carpet. One of the gals said she tried them in her rotary cutter and they worked great. Then there was quite a bit of conversation going back and forth with some saying they had tried them and didn't like them and others chiming in saying they had tried them and they worked as well as the expensive "quilting" rotary blades. In the picture above, the blade on the left is an Olfa and the blade right next to the cutter is from Harbor Freight Tools.

So, I decided that since a package of 2 was only $1.99 (and right now they are on sale for $1.49) that it was worth giving them a try - especially in light of the fact that I can cut up to 30-40 pieces of fabric daily for my little eBay store, plus all my own personal cutting. And, since Olfa blades can cost anywhere from $38.98 for 10 (at Hancocks of Paducah) to $34.99 for 5 at JoAnn's (with a 40% off coupon - $20.99), I thought I would order 10 at a cost of $14.90 and see if they really do work.

I figured if they do work, it will save me LOTS of money in the long run and if they don't work, I am out $14.90. PLUS, the shipping is VERY reasonable. They come out of California if you order them and since St. George is pretty close to California, the shipping was only $1.99 (for orders up to $15.00)!! Another lady who lived further east said her shipping and handling was $2.99. Also their website says they have 350 locations, so you just might be near enough one to just go pick them up!!

I test-tried one on a remnant and had no problem cutting through 4 layers. I am sure time will tell, but I thought I would let you all know about this find in the event you like to save money like I do!!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Here it is several hours later since my post this morning about dying fabric. I dyed 3 yards in what is called a "Value Parfait" and I used blue as my dye.

Now, the three swatches are supposed to be light, medium and dark. I am thinking that the light and medium pieces are very similar so I will need to work on that.

I would sure love to get some opinions from all of you to let me know if you like the pieces, what is wrong, if anything, and would this be something you would buy. Please remember that these are one yard pieces and they will each be cut up into 4 FQs because right now I think they all look like Rorschach Inkblot Tests or full body x-rays!! LOL!!!

As appreciation for you leaving a comment critiquing these pieces, I am going to give away a set of three FQs, one of each color value.

Actually, I was amazed at how much better the pieces looked once they were cut up into a FQ.

Also, if you want to post this giveaway on your blog, just let me know in your comment and you will get an additional chance.

Thank you everyone for leaving me your professional opinions!! I am thinking that I am loving this fabric dying gig!!

into fabric dying. I have wanted to try my hand at dying fabric for several years but was not willing to to try it. I think I was scared of the process and the expense.

Well, my little eBay store has been very slow the past few weeks and so I decided I needed to give it a little boost. I am hoping that I can learn the dying techniques well enough to sell high quality hand dyed cottons in my little store.

I had NO idea what it took to dye fabric - all the tools and the dyes and the additives and of course fabric that is prepared for dying. Now I do!!

Friday, September 9, 2011

Well, Erin over at One Piece at a Time made this cute thing and now she has posted the pattern parts so we can make it. And not only that but she is having a Giveaway this weekend for a fat eighth bundle of the Curio fabric she used:

and a set of darling buttons:

All you have to do is jump on over there and leave a comment telling her which super power you would rather possess - the ability to fly or to be invisible!! Oh, so fun!! Just click on her link above!!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

I love this book!! It is written by Mary Lou Weidman and Melanie Bautista McFarland. Now, these gals "get" me!! The book is full of fun, wonky patterns and lots of color!! The little chicken on the front cover looks perfect for a non-traditional baby quilt and the Purple Cow quilt is out of this world!!

I can see some fun, wonky Kaffe Fassett quilts coming from these pages!! Has anyone out there made any of these wonky blocks or quilts??

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

While I was checking out what some of my blogging friends were up to today, I ran across Melody's One Flower Wednesday flower and she had the coolest little tool sitting next to her hexies!! I want one of those!! I asked her where she got it, but since she lives in Australia, I may not be able to run down to pick one up anytime soon!!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

I got an invitation to swap siggies in the International Siggie Swap that I am part of from a cute lady in Andelst in Holland.The difference in this invitation was that she wanted a Christmas siggie instead of the siggie that I typically use for this swap. I got the Christmas siggie done and it will go into the mail to Holland on Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday.

I had so much fun trying embroidery again, I thought I would make a special one with a little embroidered angel and a beaded halo!! I hope she likes it!!